Where does “cowbird” come from?
cowbird (English) comes from English cow, from Middle English cow, from Old English cū, from Proto-West Germanic *kō, from Proto-Germanic *kōz — cow.
cowbird (English): Any bird of the genus "Molothrus". The cowbirds...
Definitions
- Any bird of the genus "Molothrus". The cowbirds...
Ancestry of “cowbird”, step by step
cowbird traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English cow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | cow | An adult female of the species "Bos taurus",... |
| 2 | Middle English | cow | Alternative form of cou |
| 3 | Old English | cū | cow |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *kō | cow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *kōz | cow |
via English bird
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | bird | A member of the class of animals Aves in the... |
| 2 | Middle English | brid | a young bird, a bird in general; Alternative form... |
| 3 | Old English | bridd | young bird, chick; chicken |